Roll sheeter for printing machine



Dec. 9, 1969 D. w. SLEEPER ROLL SHEETER FOR PRINTING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 13, 1966 WK NR o QNN 9, 1969 D. w. SLEEPER 3,482,477

ROLL SHEETER FOR PRINTING MACHINE Y I Filed Sept. 13. 1966 M420 Mair/1% I ArraRZLEK Dec. 9, 1969 o. w. SLEEPER ROLL SHEETER FOR PRINTING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Sept; 15, 1966 WVE/I/Tfl/E Dec. 9, 1969 D. w. SLEEPER 3,482,477

ROLL SHEETER FOR PRINTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 13. 1966 A 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 00/1/41 .0 W. Slit PH? United States Patent U.S. Cl. 83-94 12 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A sheet cutter attachment for use with printing machines utilizes paper in roll form from which individual sheets are cut and delivered to a collection station and against a fixed stop of the printing machine which holds the sheets against movement while they are being acted upon by feeding means of the printing machine. The sheets, as they are delivered to the station by a conveyor means, move beneath any sheets that have been previously delivered and thus are accumulated in a small stack so that the top sheet can be removed for printing without interfering with the supplying of sheets of the stack. Readily changeable gear means is provided for conditioning the attachment for increasing or decreasing the amount of web material withdrawn from the roll between cutter operations to thereby provide for cutting the Web into sheets of varying length. Provisions are also made for simultaneously adjusting the conveyor means and the collection station, in relation to the fixed stop, so that the conveyor and the station can be made to properly convey and receive the sheets for each length of the sheet cut from the web.

The present invention relates to a sheet cutter attachment particularly suitable for use with offset duplicating machines or other machines for operating on sheets, and, more specifically, to an improved sheet cutter attachment utilizing paper in roll form from which individual sheets are cut at about the same rate of speed as the use machine is effective for using the sheets.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved sheet cutter attachment comprising means for easily and accurately conditioning the attachment for cutting the web into sheets of any desired length within a wide range of sheet lengths.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an improvement to existing sheet cutting equipment which permits relatively unskilled personnel to make the necessary adjustments to condition the attachment for cutting the web into selected sheet lengths of varying size.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an arrangement for regulating the rate at which the web is advanced by a pair of feed rollers, to thereby increase or decrease the amount of web material withdrawn from the roll. A rotary cutter is driven at a fixed speed and is efiective upon each revolution to cut from the web an individual sheet having a length determined by the speed at which the web is fed from the roll. Subsequent to cutting of the sheet from the web, the sheet is transported by a movable tape conveyor to an accumulation station whereat the sheets are stacked by inserting the new sheet beneath the stack. The sheets are fed from the top of the stack to the use machine.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for simultaneously adjusting the conveyor tapes in relation to the accumulation station so that the tapes and the accumulation station continue to properly convey and receive the sheets respectively, regardless of the length of the sheets being cut from the web.

. Another object of the invention is to provide an arrangement giving an improved approach angle for sheets entering the accumulation station, and to provide improved guiding and control means which permits inserting the sheets beneath the stack in a precise manner, related to the sheet stiffness, to give reliable operation and minimizes problems of stubbing and jamming under varying conditions of use.

It is another object of the invention to provide a novel web decurling device in which the basic setting for the desired degree of curl control to suit the actual paper roll condition is simply accomplished by the operator, and the web curl control adjusts automatically as the roll diameter is diminished.

It is another object of the invention to provide a web tension control which maintains proper tension regardless of frequency of starts and stops. Also, the web tension control prevents web breakage and lateral run-out of the web as it is unwound from the roll.

It is another object of the invention to provide a selfaligning connecting device which is the only physical connection required between the roll sheet feeder and the duplicating machine, thereby eliminating the need for any drive belts or interconnecting driving or timing devices.

A sheet cutting attachment of the kind to which the present invention pertains is described in Lincoln et al. Patent No. 3,072,051. As shown therein, the attachment is constructed so that sheets cut from a roll are delivered to a collection station in such manner that the sheets are accumulated in a small stack, and so that the top sheet can be removed for printing without interrupting or interfering with the supplying of sheets to the stack. The sheets as they are delivered to the station move beneath any sheets that have been previously delivered. Thus, there may be an accumulation of several sheets at the station, and a suction foot functions in conventional manner to move individual sheets one at a time from the top of the stack into the bight of a pair of feed rolls from Where the sheet is fed to the printing unit. Accordingly, there need be no exact synchronism or coordination between the movement of the suction foot and movements of the individual sheets to the station, as would be necessary if the sheets moved to this station without such an accumulation, or moved to this station on top of previously accumulated sheets at this station.

Although the sheet cutter of the Lincoln et al. patent constitutes an attachment that may be connected to a standard duplicating machine, and is also well suited to cutting individual sheets of a fixed length from a paper web and delivering the sheets to an accumulation station, the patent makes no provision for readily altering or conditioning the attachment for cutting the web to produce sheets of different lengths, i.e., the attachment is arranged to cut individual sheets of a given length only from the web and it is not capable of being readily conditioned for cutting the web into different selected sheet lengths. Thus, the present invention among other things obviates the disadvantages of the prior devices by providing means for selectively conditioning the attachment for cutting from a web individual sheets of different sheet lengths.

Additional objects and advantages will appear herein after as the description proceeds.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an improved sheet cutting attachment of the present invention with some of the detail omitted for clarity; and showing in phantom a portion of a duplicating machine to which the cutting attachment is connected;

FIG. 2 is a section taken approximately on line 22 of FIG. 1, but showing a web threaded through the machine and sheets in place at the accumulation station;

FIG. 2a is an enlarged detail section on a plane similar to FIG. 2 showing a portion only of the mechanism,

FIG. 4 is a detail elevation taken on line 4-4 of FIG. I

1 and shows a web curl control mechanism;

FIG. 5 is a front detail elevation of a gear and sprocket drive taken on line 55 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 6 is a detail section taken on line 66 of FIG. 1 showing a quick change gear arrangement for controlling the sheet lengths cut from the web.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, it will be seen that the sheetcutter is constructed on a rigid frame comprising vertically positioned members 10, 12 and 14 at one side of the machine and similar members 16, 18 and 20 at the other side. The frame also includes a horizontal member 22 and horizontal members 24 and 26 welded to the members 10, 12 and 14 at right angles thereto, and the other side is the same having a member 28 and members 30 and 32 welded to the members 16, 18 and 20. These members constitute side frame structures which are securely held together in spaced apart relation by tie bars such as 34 and 36 shown in FIG. 2. The frame also provides for the mounting of a motor M (FIG. I) on an adjustable motor support plate 38 (FIG. 2).

A roll of paper P on an axle 21 can be rotatably mounted in notches formed in the ends of the members 22 and 28, and is fed into the machine as a web W in the direction of the arrows as shown in FIG. 2. Preferably, a flexible brake strap 41 of leather or the like, having a weight 23 secured to one end thereof, is placed over the roll P as shown in FIG. 1. The strap is suspended from the tie bar 36 and is effective to prevent the roll from continuing to rotate and uncoiling the web when the machine is shut off and the web feed is suddenly stopped.

Means are also provided for moving the axle 21 in either direction to laterally position the roll P in proper alignment for feeding the web through the machine. As shown in FIG. 1-, the member 22 is provided with a boss 27 having a tapped hole therein for receiving an adjusting screw 29. The screw extends outwardly from the member and is provided with a hand wheel 31 for rotating it. A link 33 is loosely mounted on the screw 29 and is slidably supported at one end on a guide pin 35 provided on the member 22, and the other end of the link is positioned in a groove 37 provided in the axle 21. A pair of collars 39, 39 are fixed on the screw 29 and clamp the link 33 therebetween. Thus, rotation of the screw 29, through the hand wheel 31, in an anticlockwise direction as viewed from the top in FIG. 1, causes the link 33 to move outwardly from the member 22, and rotation of the screw in the opposite direction moves the link towards the member. Of course, because of the engagement of the link with the groove 37 in the axle 21, whenever the link is moved the axle is correspondingly moved to thereby position the roll P in proper lateral alignment.

The web is threaded through the machine by passing the lead end thereof between a pair of guide members 40 and 42 at a decurling station indicated generally at 44. From there the curved guide member 42 is effective to reverse the direction of travel of the web to feed the web rearwardly and around a web tensioning device 46. At this point the web is again fed inwardly, through a feed station 48, and thence to a web cutting station 50. In operation, as the web is cut into sheets S, the individual sheets are delivered onto a conveyor 52 which transports the sheets to the bottom of a stack of sheets at an accumulation station 54. The sheets S are fed from the top of the stack by conventional suction feed means of a duplicator as indicated in phantom at 56 in FIG. 2.

With reference to FIG. 4, a description will now be given of the web curl control mechanism of the decurling station 44. A shaft 58 is rotatably mounted in the members and 16 and is provided at one end with a bell crank 60 rigidly aifixed thereon. A spring 6; i connected between one end of the bell crank and the member 22 and urges the shaft 58 in an anticlockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 4. Positioned medially of the ends of the shaft 58 is a sensing arm 64 which is secured thereto as with a bolt 66. The sensing arm 64 extends downwardly from the shaft 58 and then outwardly such that a tip 68 of the sensing arm is continuously in contact with the periphery of the paper roll P as a result of the urging of the spring 62.

A decurling rod 70 is rotatably mounted at its ends in the members 24 and 32 and is provided with a longitudinal cutout for receiving a square bar 72. The bar is securely mounted in the cutout and presents a sharp edge 74 which projects beyond'the diameter of the rod 70 and into engagement with the underside of the web W as will be further explained below.

One end of the rod 70 has an adjusting plate 76 loosely mounted thereon and, the adjusting plate and the other end of the bell crank 60 are interconnected by a link 78 pivotally connected at 80 on the adjustin late and pivotally connected at 82 on the bell crank. The adjusting plate 76 is provided with an arcuate slot 84 which receives a stud 86 fixed in an arm 90. The arm is rigidly secured to the rod 70 at a position directly behind the adjusting plate 76 as viewed in FIG. 4, and the end of the stud extending through the slot 84 is threaded into a hand wheel 88. A sleeve 85 is loosely positioned on the stud 86 such that when the hand wheel is tightened on the threaded end of the stud 86, it draws up tight against the sleeve 85 and the sleeve is drawn against the face of the adjusting plate 76 to clamp it against the arm 90 and maintain the adjusting plate 76, the arm 90 and the rod 70 against relative movement. In this way, by slightly loosening the hand wheel 88, the arm 90 is free to be manually moved in either direction by swinging the stud within the limits permitted by movement of the stud 86 in the slot 84, to thereby rotate the rod 70 and properly position the edge 74 against the web. This setting of the rod 70 and the edge 74 can be made without disturbing any of the other parts such as the adjusting plate 76, bell crank 60 etc., and permits proper initial setting of the bar, with respect to the diameter of the roll P and, particularly, of the edge 74 in respect to the paper web W. Once the bar is properly set, the band Wheel is turned to clamp the adjusting plate between the arm 90 and the sleeve 85. to maintain the rod 70 in set position.

During operation of the sheet cutter, as the paper is being unwound from the roll the sensing arm 64 is gradually urged inwardly towards the center of the roll and, at the same time, the bell crank 60 is being urged in an anticlockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 4. Thus the bell crank, through the link 78, transmits counterclockwise rotation to the adjusting plate 76, which is held fast to the arm 90 as described above, to thereby impart rotation to the rod 70 and continuously change the attitude of the edge 74 with respect to the web W. Because the web closer to the axis of the roll is more tightly wound than the web at the outer periphery of the roll, the more tightly wound portion of the web requires more decurling. Accordingly, by continuously rotating the rod 70 as described above, the edge 74 presents an ever increas- 1ng amount of uniform decurling pressure or drag to the web as the paper roll is depleted to effectively decurl the web prior to its arrival at the cutting station 50. It will be seen in FIG. 4 that the bell crank 60 is provided with additional holes 75 and 77 to allow for changing the link 78 from its connection at 82 to a connection at the hole 75 or at the hole 77. This, of course, shortens the stroke of the link and decreases the amount of rotation imparted to the rod 70 carrying the square bar 72. By this adjustment it is possible to set the size of the curl bar activity zone to suit the weight, stiffness and other properties of the type of paper most commonly used.

To insure that the web is maintained in rubbing engagee ment with he e g 74 of the rod 70 as it travels between the guide members 40 and 42, a device is provided to apply a slight frictional drag to the web so that the web is kept taut as it passes over the edge 74 of the rod 70.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the guide members 40 and 42 are mounted in a pair of depending side plates 92 and 94 which are fastened to members 24 and 32 respectively (see FIG. 3 also). A triangular plate 96 is pivotally mounted on the side plate 92 and is urged by a spring 98 in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 4. The device for maintaining the web taut comprises a shoe 100 affixed to an arm 102 fastened to the plate 96. The arm 102 extends upwardly from the plate 96, extends through an opening 97 in the guide 42, and is urged towards the paper web by the spring 98. Preferably, to prevent excessive wear to the shoe 100, and to prevent marking or scratching of the web it the shoe were in direct contact with the web, a strip of Mylar 104 or the like is fastened to the bottom edge of the guide 42 and extends upwardly to a position between the shoe 100 and the outer surface of the guide 40. In this way, the web passes between the Mylar strip 104 and the guide 40, as shown by arrow A in FIG. 4, and the shoe acts against the Mylar strip which presses the web against the guide 40 and maintains the web in a taut condition.

A link 106 is connected at one end to the late 96 and at its other end to a pin 108 secured in a hub 110 rotatably supported on a bracket 112 which is fastened to the member 24. An operating handle 114 is provided in the hub 10. The connection between the link 106 and the hub 110 is so arranged as to permit swinging of the connection point from one side to the other of the line joining the hub axis with the plate connection of the link to form an over-center configuration. When the handle 114 is moved upwardly, the spring 98 draws it against a stop 115 while the shoe 100 is still spaced from the guide 40 and inactive. When the handle 114 is swung downwardly past center, the spring 98 draws the shoe 100 against the Mylar strip so as to force it and the web W against the guide 40 and provide a braking action. When the shoe is in the inactive position the Mylar strip follows it and provides a clear path for threading the lead end of the web through the machine when, for example, a new roll P is required.

With reference to FIG. 3, the decurling station 44 also includes a brush assembly having bristles 116 extending upwardly from a holder 118 and into rubbing contact with the web to remove any dust or paper lint from the edges and from the surface thereof which will ultimately be presented as the exposed upper surface. The brush assembly is preferably mounted on a shaft 121 rotatably mounted in the side plates 92 and 94. An adjusting plate 120 is fixed on the shaft 121 and, through means of a lock screw 122 and a slot 124 in the plate 120, the brush assembly may be rotated and locked in place to present the bristles 116 at the desired and most effective position against the underside of the web.

The web tensioning device 46 is best shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, and comprises a combination hydraulicmechanical control indicated generally at 125 which maintains proper tension on the web regardless of frequency of starts and stops of the machine, and also prevents web breakage and lateral runout of the web as it is unwound from the roll P.

As shown in FIG. 1, a pair of side plates 126 and 128 are mounted on the frame members 24 and 32 respectively, and have a shaft 130 rotatably journalled therein. The ends of the shaft 130 have fixed thereon depending arms 132 and 134 for supporting a fixed shaft 137 having a rotatable roller 136 thereon. Also provided at one end of the shaft 130 is a double arm assembly comprising links 138 and 140 secured to a bushing 142, and the complete assembly is fixed on the shaft and constitutes an operating crank for the shaft The frame member 32 has a plate 146 (FIG. 3) mounted thereon, and the plate is provided with a stud 148 for pivotally supporting the control 125. The control is of conventional design and is commercially available under the tradename Bellows Valvair Hydro-Check. Briefly, the control comprises a hydraulic chamber 150 having a slidable actuating rod 152 extending outwardly from one end thereof and positioned between a pair of retaining plates 154 and 156. The end of the actuating arm is provided with a block 158 positioned between the arms 138 and of the crank and resting on the top surface of the retainer plate 154. The block 158 is pivotally connected by a pin 160 with the crank 138, 140. A pair of compression springs 162 and 164 are also mounted between the retainer plates 154 and 156 and surround guide rods 162a and 164a fixed in the retainer plate 156. The guide rods pass through clearance holes in the retainer plate 154 and carry stop nuts 162b and 16%.

The purpose of the control 125 is to insure that the web W is kept taut during operation. This is required to prevent sharp, jerky motions which might break the web, but is also of basic importance in that the movement of the web in taut condition across the edge 74 of the decurling bar 72 must be practically continuous during periods of web forwarding if the decurling effect is not to be erratic and unpredictable.

It will be noted that the action of springs 162 and 164 is in a direction such that the roller 136 tends to make the loop of web which embraces it longer at all times. Under normal running conditions, and also, even during starting conditions when the diameter of the paper roll P is small, the roller 136 and springs 162 and 164 will act to maintain the web taut at all times. Under certain conditions, however, the springs 162 and 164 do not by themselves perform adequately, for if the paper roll is large, its inertia is excessive so that it cannot accelerate rapidly enough under the effect of paper tension. If a feed is then begun by feed rollers, which will be presently described, the inertia of the paper roll P acts as an anchor and the web loop embracing the roller 136 shortens with great rapidity. Since the roller 136 also has some inertia it may be slightly overthrown and actually escape from contact with the web loop for a few microseconds. Should it become thus separated, re-engagement with the loop under the force of springs 162 and 164 could possibly produce suflicient shock load to break the web. In this situation the hydraulic check mechanism comes into play. This is a one-way device and is designed to damp return of the roller 136 in a leftward direction bysprings 162 and 164. It thus allows the web loop to catch up smoothly with the overthrown roller, or allows the roller to settle back into the loop gently and without shock.

It will be observed that when feeding of the web stops, the inertia of the paper roll P, depending upon its size, will have a greater or less tendency to make the roll overrun and thus enlarge the web loop about the roller 136. The effect of the brake strap 41 when added to the ordinary frictional factors, is accordingly adjusted to a value which will prevent enlarging the web loop significantly beyond the maximum throw of roller 136 even for the maximum diameter of paper roll P so that slack on the next start is avoided. The described control assembly 125 thus provides for maintaining the web substantially taut under all conditions of starting and stopping, and hence, in addition to assuring that proper decurling action will be applied to all parts of the web, guards against the chance for web breakage inherent in a slack condition occurring in a web system subject to intermittent operation.

From the tensioning station 46 the web is fed to the feed station indicated at 48 and comprising a lower roller 166, an intermediate roller 168 and an upper roller 170. As shown in FIG. 2, a pair of guides 172 and 174 are 7 mounted between the side plates 126 and 128, adjacent the rollers 166 and 168 respectively, to facilitate the threading of the web around the feed rollers.

Lower roller 166 is preferably a knurled metal roller whose shaft 167 is journalled in the side plates 126 and 128 and, as shown in FIG. 5, is provided with a gear -176 at one end thereof. Intermediate roller 168 is also preferably a knurled metal roller whose shaft 169 is journalled in the side plates 126 and 128 and extends outwardly of both side plates. The shaft 169 is provided with a pair of gears 178 and 180 at one end, with the gear 178 in meshwith the gear 176 on the roller 166, and is also provided with a gear 182 .at the other end extending from the side plate 126 (see FIG. 6). The upper roller 170 is preferably a rubber roller rotatably mounted in a pair of arms 184 and 186, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and the arms are pivotally mounted on a shaft 188 journalled in the side plates 126 and 128. The roller 170 is provided with a gear 190 (FIG. 5) in mesh with the gear 180 on the roller 168, and is urged into pressure engagement with the roller 168 by an eccentric device 171 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The arms 184 and 186 are secured together by a bar 173, and an eccentric disc 175 is adapted to coact with the bar. The eccentric disc is fixed on a shaft 177 rotatably supported in the side plates 126 and 128, and the disc is provided with an operating handle 179 to rotate the shaft. Thus, by rotating the shaft and the disc 175 in one direciton, the disc is effective to press against the bar and hold the roller 170 in pressure engagement with the roller 168. When the disc is rotated in the opposite direction, the pressure on the bar is relieved and the roller is lifted slightly from the roller 168 to permitthreading the Web W therethrough. The lifting of the roller 170 is provided by a pair of springs 192 and 194 connecting the [arms 184 and 186 respectively with a rod 196 mounted in the side plates 126 and 128.

The drive for the feed rollers 48 comprises a drive shaft 198 (FIG. 5), journalled in the side plates 126 and 128, having a pulley 200 and a hand wheel 202 at one end, and a gear 204 at the other end as shown in FIGS. 1, 5 and 6. The motor M (FIG. 1) imparts rotation to the drive shaft 198 through a belt 201 connecting the pulley 200 to a motor pulley 203. The gear 204 is in mesh with a large gear 206 provided on a shaft 208 journalled in the side plates 126 and 128, and a gear 210 is fixed on the shaft 208 adjacent the gear 206 such that thegear 206 is on the inside of the side plate 126 and the gear 210 is on the outside of the side plate 126. Gear 210 is in mesh with a movable idler gear 212 rotatably mounted on a stub shaft 214, as will be further described below, and gear 212 is also in mesh with the gear 182 provided on the intermediate feed roller 168 as shown in FIG. 6.

The shaft 208 extends outwardly from the side plate 128 and has a pair of sprockets 216 and 218 fixed thereon as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5. An endless chain 220 is trained around the sprocket 216, around a sprocket 222 fixed on a shaft 224 rotatably supporting a conveyor roller 226, and around an idler sprocket 228 mounted on a stub shaft 230 in the side plate 128, to drive the conveyor roller 226 in the direction of arrow B shown in FIG. 5. The other sprocket 218 on the shaft 208 has an endless chain 232 trained around the lower portion,

thereof, then around a sprocket 234 fixed on a shaft 236 rotatably supporting a cutter drum 238, and around a pair of =idler sprockets 240 and 242 mounted on stub shafts 244 and 246 respectively in the side plate 128, to drive the cutter drum 238 in the direction of arrow C in FIG. 5.

To summarize the gear and sprocket drive, it will be seen that the drive shaft 198 is driven at a uniform speed by the motor M. The gear 204 on the drive shaft 198 imparts rotation to the gear 206 mounted on the shaft 208 (FIG. 6), and the rotation of the shaft 208 rotates the sprockets 216 and 218 mounted thereon (FIG. 5).

8 The drive of the sprockets 216 and 218, through the chains 220 and 232, is effective to drive the cutter drum 238 and conveyor roller 226. However, since the feed rollers 48 are driven by an independent gear train comprising gears 182, 210 and 212, the sprocket drive does not necessarily control the speed of the feed rollers. Thus, by changing the size of the gear 210, the speed of the feed rollers 48 relative to the cutter and conveyor speeds is varied to provide an increase or decrease in the rate at which the web is fed from the roll P.

As mentioned earlier, the presentinvention provides means for quickly and accurately conditioning the machine for cutting the web into sheets of any desired length within a wide range of sheet lengths. Although a variable speed device could be used, this is somewhat objectionable because it requires operator experimentation to arrive at the proper speed for cutting the web into sheets of a desired length. Accordingly, the present device provides a positive gear drive arrangement for increasing or decreasing the speed of the feed rollers- 48, without affecting the speed of the conveyor roller 226 and the cutter drum 238, merely by replacement of the gear 210. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, a sector plate 250 is pivotally mounted on the axis of the roller 168 at a position intermediate the side plate 128 and the gear 182. The sector plate is provided with an arcuate slot 252 for receiving therein a stud 254 fixed in the side plate 128 and extending outwardly through the slot. The sector plate 250 is pivotally movable within the limits determined by the ends of the slot and, when set at the desired position, is firmly locked in place with a nut 256 on the stud 254. The stub shaft 214 is also fixed in the sector plate 250 and rotatably supports the gear 212.

It will be understood, with the gear 212 mounted on the stub shaft 214 which is fixed in the sector plate 250, the center of the gear 212 can be changed in relation to the centers of the gears 182 and 210 by loosening the nut 256 and pivoting the sector plate in either direction. For example, if the web is to be cut into 8 inch sheet lengths, a 32 tooth gear 210 would be used and properly adjusted in meshing relation with the gears 182 and 212 by means of the sector plate 250. If the requirement was for 14 inch sheet lengths, the 32 tooth gear would be removed and replaced with a gear 210 having 56 teeth which is also properly meshed with the gears 182 and 212 through the pivotal positioning of the sector plate. Obviously, by selecting the proper gear 210, any number of different sheet lengths can be cut from the web W. This gear change results in changing the speed of the gear train which drives the feed rollers 48 and, of course, the speed of the feed rollers governs the rate of speed at which the web is advanced by increasing or decreasing the amount of web withdrawn from the roll P between operations of the cutter. Thus, the larger the pitch of the gear 210, the'longer the sheet length cut from the web, and the smaller the pitch of the gear 210 the shorter the sheet length cut from the web.

Although the cutter drum 238 of the present invention operates in a manner similar to that disclosed in the above mentioned Patent No. 3,072,051, it incorporates certain features which result in greater operator convenience and improved accuracy and registration in the cutting of the sheets from the web. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the web is fed over a support table 258 and into a cutting or shearing position between a knife 260 provided in the rotary drum 238 and a stationary bar 262 mounted in a holder 264. The drum is rotatably mounted in a pair of end plates 266 and 268 mounted on the members 26 and 30 respectively, and the holder 264 is mounted'integral therewith. The end plate 266 is provided with an elongate slot 270 so that by moving the end plate 266 supporting the drum and the holder, both the drum and the holder as a unit may be shifted axially about a stud 272 projecting upwardly through the slot.

When the drum is positioned at an appropriate angle to the direction of web travel so as to provide a square cut to the web, the drum is locked in place by tightening a nut 274 on the stud 272 to hold the end plate 266 against movement.

This angular adjustment of the drum axis makes it possible to provide a square cut to the web regardless of the length of the sheet being cut. Because the cutting action of the drum is a scissors action whereby the web is cut progressively from one edge transversely to the other edge, in those instances where the speed of the Web feed is considerably increased or decreased for cutting long or short sheets respectively, it is necessary to shift the angle of the drum axis accordingly to maintain a square cut to the web. Thus, by shifting the position of the drum and the holder as a unit, the knife 260 remains in proper cutting relation with the bar 262, so as that the only adjustment of the cutter mechanism needed is the setting of this angular position of the drum and holder unit to correspond to the speed of the web feed and the length of the sheet being cut from the web.

The cutter drum is balanced for smooth, quiet operation and the knife 260 is adjustable to maintain the correct radius after, for example, the knife has been resharpened. In this connection, the knife is held in the drum with a plurality of set screws 276 provided in threaded holes 278 in the drum and positioned at right angles to the knife, and the knife is adjustable outwardly from the drum periphery by means of similar set screws 280 provided in threaded holes 282 in the drum and positioned vertically in line with the knife 260. In this way, the screws 280 permit adjustment of the knife along its entire length merely by urging the blade outwardly with the screws 280.

As a sheet S is cut from the Web at the cutting station 50, the sheet is transported by the belt conveyor 52 to the bottom of a stack of sheets at the accumulation station 54. Although this general arrangement is also disclosed in the above Patent No. 3,072,051, the present invention provides for a relatively flat angle of approach to the stack and for adjusting the conveyor and the accumulation station for transporting and receiving respectively sheets of different lengths as will be described below.

With reference to FIG. 1, a bracket 284 is mounted on the member 26, a similar bracket not shown in the drawings is mounted on the member 30, and the conveyor roller 226 is rotatably journalled in the brackets. A pair of side plates 286 and 288 are positioned on the inside of the brackets and are each pivot-ally supported at one end on the shaft 224 of the conveyor roller 226. As shown in FIG. 2, the side plate 286 is provided with a pair of straps 290 and 292 fixed to the inside surface of the side plate in parallel spaced apart relation to provide therebetween a slide or a track 294 for a gear rack 296. The gear rack 296 extends outwardly from the track 294, beyond the front faces of the straps 290 and 292, and has an auxiliary or movable side plate 298 secured thereto. The side plate 288 is the same as the side plate 286 and, although not shown in elevation in the drawings, it will be understood that it is provided with identical parts corresponding to the straps 290 and 292, track 294, gear rack 296 and the auxiliary or movable side plate 298. The plates 298 with their racks 296 and other attached parts are thus seen to constitute a shiftable carriage 299 which is movable in a fore-andaft direction. A shaft 300 is rotatably supported in the side plates 286 and 288 and is provided with two pinions 302, one in mesh with each gear rack 296. A hand wheel 304 is fixed to one end of the shaft 300 to facilitate manual rotation of the shaft.

As will be further expalined below, rotation of the shaft 300 imparts endwise movement to the gear racks and thus to the carriage 299, to thereby condition the accumulation station 54 for receiving the particular sheet length being cut from the web. When the accumulation station is properly conditioned, the shaft 300 is held against rotation by a clamp device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The clamp device comprises a split block 306, mounted on the frame, having a tapped hole therein for receiving the threaded end of a screw 308. A hand knob 310 is fixed to the screw 308 to permit turning the screw to either tighten or loosen the split block 306 on the shaft 300 to thereby lock the carriage 299 in set position.

The side plates 286 and 288 are also provided with a rotatable roller 312 for supporting a plurality of endless belts or tapes 314, and a fixed rod 316 having a series of arms 309 mounted thereon. Each of the arms supports a crown roller 318 (one for each belt 314) for maintaining the tapes in alignment. The auxiliary side plates 298, 298 rotatably support a roller 320, a roller 322 and a roller 324. The endless tapes 314 are positioned around these various rollers 226, 318, 312, 320, 322 and 324, in the manner shown in FIG. 2, with the rollers 320, 322 and 324 providing a cavity 325 between the conveyor 52 and the accumulation station 54. The reach of the tapes 314 between the conveyor roller 226 and the roller 324 provide an inclined surface for the travel of sheets S, and the reach of the tapes between the rollers 320 and 312 provide a horizontal surface for the sheets at the accumulation station. With the trailing ends of the sheets in the accumulation station extending slightly beyond the cavity 325, and with the roller 324 being at a slightly lower level than the roller 320, the leading ends of subsequent sheets traveling upwardly on the inclined reaches of the tapes pass underneath the trailing ends of the sheets at the accumulation station and continue movement under previou sheets until reaching a front fixed stop 327 in the feeder of the duplicating machine. The fixed stop 327 holds the sheets against movement, against the action of the tapes 314, while the sheets are being acted upon by the feed means 56 of the duplicating machine.

With reference to FIG. 2A, it will be seen that the conveyor presents a flat angle for the delivery of the sheets S to the bottom of the stack of sheets at the accumulation station and allow each sheet to be presented beneath the bottom sheet of the stack. To insure that sheets of different weights are properly delivered to the stack, there is provided a guide member 301 mounted on a rod 303 which is povotally supported in the side plates 298, 298 of the carriage 299. The guide member is adjustable and is adapted to ride on the top surface of the sheet to press the sheet against the tapes 314 as it is being transported by the conveyor to the stack. For heavy weight sheets, the guide is set to press the sheet only lightly against the tapes. Because the sheet is fairly stiff, the lead end does not sag as it is fed to the bottom of the stack. For light weight sheets, however, the guide member is adjusted to apply considerably more press to the sheet, even to the point of depressing the tapes 314, to thereby cause the sheet to curve upwardly and be directed into the proper path for stacking beneath the bottom sheet of the stack at the accumulation station. To guide the sheets and maintain them in contact with the tapes of the conveyor, there is provided an idler hold down roller 305 rotatably supported on a shaft 307. The shaft is mounted in a pair of arms 319, 319 pivotally supported on a bar 321 fixed in the side plates 298, 298 of the carriage 299, and the roller rides on the top surface of the sheets as they are being conveyed to the accumulation station.

Reviewing, now, the action occurring between the nip of feed rollers 168, and the cavity 325, successful cutting of sheets to accurate length has been found to require non-interference with the free end of the web as it is pushed beneath the cutter. Accordingly, the parts have been so arranged that the support table 258 and the sloping portion of tapes 314 and, if necessary, an additional intermediate support table 258a define a substantially plane surface or perhaps a very slightly upwardly curved path for the sheet. In this way each sheet can be thrust forward resting only on the moving tapes and meeting no potential resistance before cutting, either in the form of a sharp deflection, or in the form of top guides or hold down means. Thus, resistance to lead edge motion is minimized and smooth sheet flow and accuracy of cut are assured. It is convenient to the geometry of the system as related to the compactness of the device, especially in length, to have the cutter level as high as possible so that the web train leading thereto can be largely positioned beneath it. Since the maximum height is determined by the use machine (normally about table height) a small angle of slope (about degrees) is found to be the optimum. for the travel of the web and sheets towards the cavity 325. This feature of the equipment thus (1) satisfies the convenience and size requirements of the equipment, (2) provides an important improvement in the reliability with which sheets introduced beneath the bottom of the stack are fed home against the stop 327, and (3) assures freedom from interference with the travel of the projected end of the web so as to provide for cutting sheets accurately to size.

The lead end of the accumulation station is provided with an adjustable shelf 330, readily removably mounted on -a pair of rods 332 and 334 in the side plates 286 and 288,for supporting the lead end of the sheets S at the proper level for feeding by the suction foot 56. Preferably, the rod 334 is provided with otfset portions at each end for mounting the shelf or platform 330 for rocking movement. Thus, manual rotation of the rod 334 is eifective to displace the central portion forward or backward and thus raise and lower the distal end of the platform to permit changing the attitude of the shelf to provide a slight incline or decline thereto. This attitude adjustment of the shelf 330 provides for accurately registering the lead edges of the sheets at the accumulation station for various weights.

of paper. For example, it has been found that if the shelf 330 is in a horizontal or relatively high position, an incoming sheet of light weight will tend to be driven up to the registering stops on the duplicating machine, while heavier sheets tend to resist being moved the full distance. When heavier sheets are run proper registration of the incoming sheet can be achieved by sloping the outer end of the shelf slightly. In any case, a setting suited exactly to the nature of the paper in use can be made while the machine is in operation.

From the description thus far, it will be seen that rotation of the shaft 300 through the hand wheel 304 is effective to move the gear racks 296 to the left or to the right as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 2. Because the carriage 299 carrying the rollers 320, 322 and 324 is fixed to the gear racks, it can be moved back and forth by rotation of the shaft 300. Accordingly, to increase the length of the accumulation station 54 to receive longer sheets, the gear racks are moved towards the left in FIGS. 1 and 2 to thereby move the rollers 320, 322 and 324 in the same direction without disturbing the travel or the tension of the tapes 314. When the gear racks and the rollers are moved in the opposite direction, of course, the length of the accumulation station is decreased for receiving sheets of shorter lengths. In any event, the tension and the travel of the tapes 314 remains constant and adjustments to the accumulation station may be made either during machine operation or when the machine is shut down.

The accumulation station is accurately conditioned for a desired sheet length by means of a graduated scale 311, (FIG. 1) mounted on the frame of the machine, and a pointer 313 supported on one of the auxiliary side plates 298. By rotating the shaft 300 until the pointer 313 is positioned at a desired sheet length indicated on the scale 311, the accumulation station is correspondingly conditioned approximately for receiving such sheet lengths, and refining adjustments for optimum position can be effected during running in accordance with paper action.

The carriage 299 also rotatably supports a rod 315 having a sensing finger 317 mounted thereon for controlling the thickness or number of sheets in the stack at the accumulation station. Normally the sensing finger would be set to detect a thin pile of perhaps 30-40 sheets in the stack. As the stack builds up, the sensing finger is gradually urged upwardly thereby rotating the rod 315, When the set thickness of the stack is reached, the rod has been rotated through an angle sufficient to actuate a suitable micro-switch (not shown) which is effective to open the circuit of motor M and thereby discontinue feeding of the web until such time as the stack in the accumulation station is diminished by feeding the sheets to the duplicator. When a low level of the stack, e.g., about 15 sheets, is detected by the sensing finger, the switch condition is reversed and web feed is again resumed.

As mentioned above, the side plates 286 and 288 are pivotally mounted on the shaft 224 of the conveyor roller 226 and may thus have a slight up and down rocking motion. However, the weight of the conveyor and accumulation station assembly is supported by a pair of arms 338, 338 (only one being shown in FIG. 2) resting on the heads of a pair of adjustable bolts 350, 350 provided in a cross bar 348 fastened to the members 24 and 32. The arms 338, 338 are pivotally mounted on a rod 340 provided in the members 12 and 18, and the arms are rigidly connected together with a cross bar 342 as shown in FIG. 2. The cross bar 342 has mounted thereon a pivotal link connecting the arms 338, 338 with the side plates 286 and 288. The link connection comprises a U-shaped bracket 343 which pivotally retains a block 344. One end of a stud 346 is threaded into the block 344 and the other end of the stud is secured to a tie rod 349 mounted in the side plates 286 and 288. In this way, by adjusting the block 344 on the stud 346, the accumulation station may be pivotally raised or lowered to the proper feeding level to exactly match the feeding station of the use machine such as a duplicator.

A self-aligning connection means for physically connecting the roll sheet feeder attachment to the duplicating machine is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and comprises a hook 352 adapted for pivotal movement into and out of engagement with a tie bar 354 in the duplicating machine. The hook 352 is mounted within a recess of a forked guide member 351 whose forward end is designed to just touch the upper surface of the tie bar 354 with its lower surface, and the forked member is secured to the cross bar 342 and also to a similar bar 353 provided on the arms 338, 338. A pin 355'is provided in the recess of the forked member 351, and the hook 352 is provided with an elongate opening 357 for rockably mounting the hook on the pin. A rod 358 is pivotally connected at one end to the hook 352, as shown in FIG. 2, and at its other end is attached to a ring 360 which receives an eccentric 361 fixed on a rotatable shaft 362 supported in the arms 338, 338. As shown in FIG. 1, the shaft 362 is provided with a hand wheel 364 for rotating the shaft.

. As viewed in FIG. 2, to disconnect the roll sheet feeder attachment from the duplicator, the shaft 362 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction causing the eccentric 361 to urge the rod 358 forwardly or to the right, thereby moving the hook 352 forwardly and simultaneously pivoting the hook in an anticlockwise direction to thereby disengage the hook from the tie bar 354. To connect the roll sheet feeder attachment to the duplicator, it is only necessary to rotate the shaft 362 to raise the hook 352 as stated above, move the attachment into position with respect to the duplicator, and rotate the shaft 362 in the opposite direction to thereby pivot the hook 352 downwardly into engagement with the tie bar 354 and draw it leftwardly thereagainst.

The initial setting of the hook 352 may be raised or lowered with respect to the tie bar 354, as might be required where the duplicator is on an uneven floor, by adjusting the bolts 350, 350 which support the arms 338, 338. This adjustment is made prior to the adjustment provided by the block 344 and the stud 346 for the ac- 13 cumulation station since the latter adjustment would be affected if it had been previously made.

To facilitate positioning of the roll sheet feeder attachment with the duplicating machine, the arms 338, 338 are each provided with a guide block 370 and 372 (see FIG. 1) which insures proper lateral alignment of the attachment between feeder side plates SP of the duplicator. Also, the arms 338, 338 have mounted thereon brackets 374 and 376 provided with forwardly extending screws 375 and 377 respectively. By adjusting the screws 375 and 377 into snug abutting relation with the ends of the side plates SP, a positive and accurate stop is afforded for moving the attachment into proper position with the duplicator, and once this adjustment is properly made with the machines in accurate alignment and the hook engaged with tie bar 354, the attachement can be quickly reattached at any time in exact longitudinal alignment with the duplicator ready for running.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the present invention provides an improved roll sheet feeder attachment for cutting from a web sheets of any desired length within a wide range of sheet lengths. It also provides novel means for conditioning the tape conveyor and accummulation station for transporting and receiving respectively sheets of different lengths. Additionally, the present invention provides a novel web decurling device which is self-adjusting in operation to apply the proper degree of decurling to the web as the diameter of the paper roll is diminished, and a web tension control which maintains the web in proper taut condition regardless of frequency of starts and stops of the web feed. The web tension control thus prevents web breakage as it is unwound from the roll and fed through the machine and insures that the web is maintained in effective contact with the decurling mechanism to insure the latters continued effectiveness. The self-aligning latching device of the present invention permits the use of only a single physical connection between the roll sheet feeder attachment and the duplicating machine. The design of the roll sheeter is such as to eliminate the need for any drive belts or interconnecting driving or timing devices between it and the use machine.

While preferred embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated, it is to be understood that these are capable of variation and modification. Accordingly, the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such variations and modifications as may fall within the true spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a device for cutting web material into sheets and presenting the same for use against a fixed stop of a sheet use machine which holds the sheets against movement while they are being acted upon by feeding means of the use machine and serves to define the location of an accumulation station for the device:

means for holding a supply roll of web material;

feeding means for drawing the web from the supply roll;

means for cutting sheets of predetermined length from the web;

means providing an accumulation station including a stack support for receiving sheets to form a stack of sheets in a position for use during cutting and stacking with the trailing margin of the sheets slightly overhanging the support;

conveyor means for taking the sheets as they come from the cutting means and feeding them beneath the trailing margin of the stack and onto the bottom of the stack;

the device embodying structure which provides for altering its operation so as to produce cut sheets having a predetermined length corresponding to one of various desired values; and

means for adjusting the terminus of said stack support adjacent the trailing margin of the sheets at the accumulation station and for adjusting the sheet feed-in location of said conveyor towards and away from the fixed stop to provide an appropriate relationship between the overhang of sheets in the accumulation station and a proper feed-in point with respect to said overhang to insure proper bottom feeding of the sheets of selected length to the stack.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1 in which the means for cutting sheets of predetermined length includes a cutter operating on the web at fixed time intervals and adjustable speed means for feeding the web past the cutter at varying speeds depending upon the length of sheet desired.

3. A device as set forth in claim 2 in which the web feeding means is driven by a gear train, and in which means is provided for readily replacing a gear of the train with any of several gears of different sizes each related directly to a desired sheet length.

4. A device as set forth in claim 2 in which the cutter is of the progressively operating type and which further includes means for adjusting the angular relationship of the cutter to the web path to bring the same into a position such that a square end sheet is formed by the cutter for any given web speed.

5. A device as set forth in claim 1 in which the conveyor means and the means providing an accumulation station jointly embody a continuous belt running towards and away from the fixed stop, and roller means with transversely disposed axes about which the belt is trained, certain of said roller means about which the belt is trained being located at and defining the juncture of the conveyor means and the stack support, said juncture-defining roller means being shiftable towards and away from the fixed stop; and

means for shifting the juncture-defining roller means,

said latter means constituting the means for adjusting the terminus of the stack support and the sheet feed-in location of the conveyor.

6. A device as set forth in claim 5 in which there is provided adjacent the conveyor tapes and in proximity to the juncture with the accumulation station, a guide member overlying sheets carried on the tapes, and which also includes means to adjust the guide member towards and away from the tapes to deflect the latter by an amount suited to the proper feeding of sheets of varying weights into the accumulation station.

7. A device as set forth in claim 5 in which the roller means comprises:

a first roller located adjacent the terminus of the stack support;

a second roller positioned adjacent the feed-in location of the conveyor and at a lower elevel than the first roller to provide a step between the feed-in location of the conveyor and the stack support; and

a third roller positioned intermediate and below the first and the second rollers; said belt passing over the second roller, thence to and below the third roller, and finally to and over the first roller to provide an interruption in belt contact with the sheets at the juntion of the conveyor means and accumulation station.

8. A device as set forth in claim 1 in which a terminal portion of the accumulation station remote from the cutter comprises a platform, means mounting the platform for rocking movement about that end which is closer to the cutter, and means to raise and lower the distal end of the platform to accommodate the stacking characteristics of the accumulation station to sheets of varying weights.

9. A device as set forth in claim 1 which further includes means for decurling a web as it is fed from a supply roll which comprises:

a decurling bar positioned so as to bear against the web as it passes between said roll and said feeding means, said bar having a sharp decurling edge, and being movably mounted in a manner to provide greater or said tape mechanism being so constructed that it receives cut sheets from said cutter device and positions them beneath previous sheets in a stack of sheets located at said station whereby the individual sheets may be drawn off the top of the stack of sheets at said station produced by said cutting device; a guide member overlying the tape mechanism adjacent to and in advance of the station; and means to adjust the guide member towards and away from the tape mechanism to deflect the latter by an amount suited to the proper feeding of sheets of varying weights to the station. 12. A sheet supply attachment for a sheet use machine having laterally spaced vertical locating surfaces, and a transversely extending frame member, comprising:

15 less deflection of the web by the edge to effect greater or less decurling of the web; a movable sensing arm riding on the periphery of the supply roll; means urging the arm towards the periphery of the supply roll; and means connecting the arm with the decurling bar to so move the bar as to increase web deflection by the sharp edge thereof in response to decrease in the diameter of the roll. 10. A device as set forth in claim 1 in which the sheets are presented to a use machine having laterally spaced vertical locating surfaces, and a transversely extending frame member, comprising:

a frame;

means on the frame for holding a web supply;

means on the frame for cutting sheets from said supply and feeding them forward to an accumulation station;

a frame;

means on the frame for holding a web supply;

means on the frame for cutting sheets from said supply and feeding them forward to an accumulation adjustable abutment means on the forward portion of station;

the atttachment frame arranged for contact with said adjustable abutment means on the forward portion of locating surfaces and settable to positions such that the attachment frame arranged for contact with said when said abutments are in contact with said surlocating surfaces and settable to positions such that faces the sheets at the accumulation station will be when said abutments are in contact with said surpresented in exact alignment to satisfy the requirefaces the sheets at the accumulation station will be ments of the use machine; presented in exact alignment to satisfy the requirea manual control member; and ments of the use machine;

means responsive to said manual control member for a manual control member; and

engaging said use machine frame member, drawing means responsive to said manual control member for the attachment and the use machine together to engaging said use machine frame member, drawing place the abutment means in contact with the locatthe attachment and the use machine together to place ing surfaces, and clamping the attachment and use the abutment means in contact with the locating surmachine in this position with the abutments and 10- faces, and clamping the attachment and use machine eating surfaces in pressure contact. in this position with the abutments and locating sur- 11. In a sheet use machine, the combination of: faces in pressure contact.

mechanism for operating on individual sheets of sheet material sequentially; References Cited means for sequentially drawing off individual sheets UNITED STATES PATENTS from the top of a stack of the sheets at a certain 2,227,789 1/1941 Macfarren 83-436 X :ltias'gon and feeding them to the operating mecha $113322; gig lGincgln et a1 8 3 0 y a cutter device for provldmg sheets to said statlon and 3,191,472 6/1965 y 83 61 effective for sequentially cutting lengths of a web of sheet material into sheets;

tape mechanism for feeding sheets from said cutter device to said station;

and stop means effective on the sheets at said station for holding them against the propelling action of said tape mechanism,

5 ANDREW R. JUHASZ, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

